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Dorsa Brevia

Dorsa Brevia was a hidden settlement near the South pole of Mars and one of the most important cities of the Martian underground.

Dorsa Brevia was one of the natural cavities formed by ancient lava flows, which created channels that snaked through the terrain; the outer layer solidified and liquid lava flowed inside, leaving behind large and long empty tunnels. The dorsa ran in the North-South direction.

It was established after the revolution of 2061 by a group of people that were creating a new matriarchal culture based on elements of Hiroko Ai's Areophany and the Minoan society of ancient Crete. Many children of Dorsa Brevia were given Minoan names, such as Ariadne.

The habitable part of the 40 kilometer-long hollow dorsa was divided into twelve segments, each one kilometer long, with more being created as the sanctuary expanded. The segments were given names from Minoan cities: Falasarna; Phaistos; Knossos; Mali; Lat; Gourni; Zakros. The segments were made airtight using tent fabric. They were fit with artificial skylights; the people of Dorsa Brevia worked to create enclosed biospheres, growing forests of pine trees and bamboo.

In circa 2107, Dorsa Brevia became the host for the Dorsa Brevia Conference, a gathering of all parties and settlements of the underground. Workshops and debates were held, with Nadia Cherneshevsky, Art Randolph, the Swiss from Overhangs and Charlotte from Dorsa Brevia being instrumental in the organization and in the drafting of the documents. The outcome of the convention was the Dorsa Brevia Declaration, a founding document that would later serve as a basis of discussion for the Martian constitution.

When UNTA and metanational police troops began destroying the underground settlements around the South pole, Dorsa Brevia became the new home for many displaced Martians. Hiroko and her group moved there after the destruction of Gamete.

Dorsa Brevia was represented at the Pavonis Mons Congress of 2128. Charlotte again participated; she went on to become an important figure in the administration of the Martian government and an influential historian.

The Dorsa Brevians developed close relations with the Cretans back on Terra and made their visits to the ancient places at Crete as a kind of pilgrimage. When starships were built out of asteroids, the Dorsa Brevians jumped on the opportunity to leave the solar system. Desiring to take a greater distance from Terran influence and its patriarchal heritage, the Dorsa Brevians moved to a star near Aldebaran, where was situated a planet suitable for terraforming. Among the emigrants was Jackie Boone.